lip

1 of 4

noun

1
: either of two fleshy folds that surround the mouth in humans and many other vertebrates and are organs of human speech essential to certain articulations
also : the red or pinkish margin of the human lip
2
slang : back talk
3
a
: a fleshy edge or margin (as of a wound)
b
: labium
d
: a limb of a labiate corolla
4
a
: the edge of a hollow vessel or cavity
b
: a projecting edge: such as
(1)
: the beveled upper edge of the mouth of an organ flue pipe
(2)
: the sharp cutting edge on the end of a tool (such as an auger)
(3)
: a short spout (as on a pitcher)
5
lipless adjective
liplike adjective

lip

2 of 4

adjective

1
: insincere
lip praise
2
: produced with the participation of the lips : labial
lip consonants

lip

3 of 4

verb

lipped; lipping

transitive verb

1
: to touch with the lips
especially : kiss
2
: utter
3
: to lap against : lick
4
: to hit (a putt) so that the ball hits the edge of the cup but fails to drop in
usually used with out

intransitive verb

: to hit the edge of the cup without dropping in
used with out
the putt lipped out

lip-

4 of 4

combining form

variants or lipo-
: fat : fatty tissue : fatty
lipoid
lipoprotein

Examples of lip in a Sentence

Noun He had a cut on his lip. She was nervously biting her lip. the lips of a wound the lip of a crater the lip of a pitcher Adjective part of the ritual of the awards ceremony is the nominee's lip praise for the performances of his or her competitors Verb the waves, reflecting the red glow of the sunset, gently lipped the prow
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Priced between 24 euros for the lip balm to 44 euros for the solid perfume, the collection is available at both brands’ online stores. Sandra Salibian, WWD, 17 Oct. 2024 For her glam, Bruni glowed in peachy, bright makeup including a glossy lip and eyeshadow look that perfectly complimented her brunette locks — which fell in bouncy waves. Catherine Santino, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024
Adjective
While lip reading is commonly used as a way for those with hearing disabilities to understand speech and conversations, it’s also called upon for legal matters and police investigations. Emily Holgate, refinery29.com, 19 Jan. 2024 Also, lip skin is thinner, making blood vessels more apparent. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2024
Verb
Greg Norman lips his putt on the PGA Championship’s second playoff hole, giving Paul Azinger the title and leaving Norman with an unprecedented career of Grand Slam playoff losses. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024 Best Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2024 Makeup Deals Glow up with Hourglass's luminance-boosting blush and highlighter quad, or stick to a classic sultry eye and statement lip with the gorgeous Tom Ford trio below—the choice is yours. Sarah Han, Allure, 15 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for lip 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lip.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English lippa; akin to Old High German leffur lip and probably to Latin labium, labrum lip

Combining form

New Latin, from Greek, from lipos — more at leave

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1558, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1589, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lip was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near lip

Cite this Entry

“Lip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lip. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

lip

1 of 2 noun
1
: either of the two fleshy folds that surround the mouth
2
3
a
: a fleshy edge or margin
lips of a wound
b
: a part or structure of a plant or animal that resembles a lip (as the protruding part of an orchid's corolla)
4
: the edge of a hollow container especially where it is slightly spread out
lipless adjective
liplike adjective

lip

2 of 2 adjective
: spoken with the lips only : not sincere
lip service

Medical Definition

lip

noun
1
: either of the two fleshy folds which surround the opening of the mouth in humans and many other vertebrates and in humans are organs of speech essential to certain articulations
also : the pinkish or reddish margin of a human lip composed of nonglandular mucous membrane and usually exposed when the mouth takes on its natural set
2
: an edge of a wound
3
: either of a pair of fleshy folds surrounding an orifice
4
: an anatomical part or structure (as a labium) resembling a lip
liplike adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on lip

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